STATEHOUSE (May 2, 2018) — Wabash High School student Olivia Hipskind and alumnus Shane King, along with Manchester JR.-SR. High School’s Kiera Stacy are all planning to pursue a career in education and were selected to receive the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship, according to State Rep. Dave Wolkins (R-Warsaw).
Wolkins, who supported legislation creating this scholarship program, said the scholarship is awarded to top-performing students who commit to teaching in Indiana for five consecutive years. Recipients will receive $7,500 per year for up to four years to obtain a teaching license.
“Retaining quality teachers that will be able to provide an exceptional education to Indiana students is certainly valuable,” Wolkins said. “As this program continues, I look forward to these recipients entering the workforce and educating our children.”
The Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship is available to 200 high-achieving high school and college students each year who either graduate in the top 20 percent of their high school class or earn a score in the top-20th percentile on the SAT or ACT. Wolkins said for students to continue receiving the scholarship in college, students must earn a 3.0 cumulative GPA and complete at least 30 credit hours per year.
More than 500 students applied, and the three were among the 200 scholarship winners. Hipskind and Stacy will attend Purdue University and Huntington University, respectively. King currently attends Ball State University.
“We’re encouraged to have so many driven, passionate students applying for this teacher scholarship, and we look forward to the positive impact they will have in classrooms and school communities across Indiana,” said Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers.
The 2019-2020 application will be available beginning in the fall. Visit www.LearnMoreIndiana.org/nextteacher for more information.